Apparatus for severing glass sheets



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T. CAKES APPARATUS FOR SEVERING GLASS SHEETS Filed Nov. 25 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fllfil,

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T. OAKES APPARATUS FOR SEVERING GLASS SHEETS Filed Nov. 25 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FEB.E.

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T. OAKES APPARATUS FOR SEVERING GLASS SHEETS Filed Nov. 25, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 8, 1 926.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TRAVIS OAKES, OF MOUNT VERNON, OIII'O, ASSIGNOR TO PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS OOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING GLASS SHEETS.

Application filed November 25, 1925. Serial No. 71,452.

The invention relates to apparatus for successively severing or separating glass sheets from a continuously formed ribbon and constitutes an il'nprovement upon, or more exactly, an addition to, the apparatus of the Slinglufi' Patent, Number 1,373,533, of April 5, 1923. In the use of the apparatus of said patent, after the glass was heated transversely by the nichrome ribbons, it wasnecessary for the'operator to either score the edges of the sheet to start the crack along the line of heating, or to wet such edges slightly, so that a second operator was required in order to support the sheet and prevent it-s falling, while the first operator was scoring or wetting the edges of the sheet. The present invention is designed to do away with the requirement for the services of one of the operators. Briefly stated, this is accomplished by providing air chilling means for starting the crack along the line heated by the nichrome ribbons, such chilling means being operated by a valve worked by the foot of the operator, so that such operator has both hands free to support the sheet when the air is applied to the two edges of the sheet to start the crack. In applying the improvement, a pair of nozzles are preferably used, supplied through flexible hose, and carried by the counterweighted devices upon which the niehrome ribbons are mounted. The position of the nozzles is thus fixed with respect? to the ribbons and with respect to the edges of the glass sheet, so that the chilling devices move with the ribbons and always apply the air at the same points. 'While a nozzle is preferably used at each edge of the sheet, it is possible to carry out the operation with one nozzle. The nozzles are preferably directed toward the center of the sheet, so that the air strikes the strip of glass which has been highly'heated by the nichrome ribbons. One embodiment of the inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: V

Figure 1 is a front view showing the apparatus a plied at the upper end of a glass drawing iachine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is an enlarged .detail view. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the solenoidsand the operating means actuated thereby. And Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a glass sheet which is being drawn continuously in a vertical direction from a glass bath, not shown, the drawing means preferably consisting of a series of pairs of rolls 2, 3, etc., only the upper three of which are shown. These rolls are driven from the vertical shaft 4 through the intermediary of suitable gearing 5, 6 and 7, constituting no part of the present invention. As the glass rises continuously through the floor 8, it becomes necessary to out it off in sections and place it upon suitable transfer meanst'or carrying it to the cutting room. Such transfer means, in the present instance, is in the form of a truck 9 upon which the sheets 10 are stacked until the truck is filled, when it is removed and an empty one moved into its place. The means for cutting off the glass, preferably consists of a pair of bars 11, 11 carrying ribbons 12, 12 (Fig. 5) of high resistance material, such as nichrome. The bars 11 are preferably in the form of channels carrying a backing of asbestos 13 for supporting thenichrome ribbons and thus insuring good contact with the surface of the glass from one side thereof to the other. The bars are supported at each end by a pair of brackets 14, 14 pivoted at their upper ends to the plates 15. The weight. of the bars and their operating mechanism is counterweighted by means of the pair of cables 16, 16 passing around the pulleys 17 and 18 and provided at their other ends with the weights 19.

Carried by the plates 15 are the solenoids 20, 20 for moving the bars 11, 11 towards each other to cause the ribbons 12, 12 to engage the glass sheet upon its opposite sides. Each solenoid carrlesa pair of depending brackets 21, 21 to which are pivoted the bell crank levers 22, 22-connected at their inner ends to the coret23 of the solenoid. The other ends of the levers are connected to the ends of the rods 24, 24 extending'through the brackets 14, 14 and provided at their outer ends with the washers 25, '25. mediate the washers and the sides of the brackets 14, 14 are the springs 26, 26, so that when the rods are moved inward by the solenoid, the clamping bars will be given yielding engagement with the glass. The bars 11,- 11 are normally held in their outer positions away from the glass by means of the springs 27, 27.

Also mounted upon the bars 11, 11 are Interthe pair of nozzles 28, 28 positioned as indicated in Figs. 3 andat with their innerends closely adjacent the point where the Contact between the uichrome ribbons and the glass sheet terminatcs. it being noted from Fig. 4 that the contact between the nichrome ribbons and the glass terminates short of the edge of such glass. The outer ends ot the nozzles are provided with the flexible supply pipes 29, 29. so that the nozzles can move up and down with the clamping bars 11. 11. The other ends of the pipes 29, 29 are connected to the branches 30, 30, supplied from the air pipe 31. As indicated in Fig. 2, the supply pipe 31 is located just beneath the floor of the cutting oil room and is'provided with a valve 32 having an operating stem 33 projecting through the floor. This valve is normally held closed by means of a spring 34. The amount of air .which flows through the pipe 31 may be regulated by means of another valve 35, so that just the right amount of air may be supplied through the nozzles 28, 28 when the valve 32 is opened full.

In operating the device, current is sent through the windings of the solenoids 20 which causes the bars ll to approach so that the nichrome bands 12, 12 engage the opposite sides of the sheet. At the same time, current is supplied through the nichrome bands, the application of the current to the windings of the solenoids and the nichrome bands being preferably controlled by the actuation of a single switch. The bars then move upward with the sheet which is to be cut oil, the weight lifted bc ing reduced by reason of the counterweights 19, so that no undue strain is thrown upon the glass. During this period of upward movement, the current passing through the nichrome bands, causes them to attain a high temperature and heat the strip of glass lyingbetween the two bands. This contact is maintained a period of time, such as experience indicates as necessary, at which time the circuit through the solenoid windings and through the nichroine bands is broken, the springs 27, 27 at this time causing the bars 11, 11 to release the glass. At

this time, the operator 'grasps the glass above the bars and presses down the stem of the valveSd, so that a flow of air passes through, the nozzles 28, 28 and. against the end portions of the heated area of glass from which the nichrome ribbons have just been withdrawn. This sudden cooling of the highly heated glass causes it to crack along the line of heating and clear out to the edges of the sheet, noscoring or wetting of the edge being necessary,as heretofore has been the case, so that the operator is free to use both hands to support the glass section which is cracked off. This section is then" placed upon'the truck 9 and the operation is repeated when another section dicated, the cracking oft operation may be carried out with a single nozzle, but the action is more certain when the two nozzles are used. Similarly, itis possible to carry out the cracking operation using only one nichrome ribbon, but here again the operation is more certain and effective it two ribbons are employed, since the heating of the strip of glass is more rapid and positive with the two ribbons, and, in case the glass is not flat, the two ribbons insure contact across the entire sheet of glass which is not the case where a single ribbon only is used. The situation of the air valve, as illustrated, iscontrolled by the feet of the operator, but this valve might be located at some other point and operated in some other way, if desired. Some other cooling gas or vapor might also be used instead of air, suchas steam, or a mixture of water vapor and air or of steam and air.

lVhat I claim is: .1. An apparatus forseparating sections from a continuously formed sheet of glass,

comprising electric heating means extending transversely of the sheet, means for clamping the heating means against the sheet so that it moves along with the sheet during the heating operation, a nozzle at the edgeof the sheet supported in fixed relation to the heating means, so as to move along therewith, fluid supply means therefor, and means for controlling the flow of fluid through said supply means.

2. An apparatus for separting sections from a continuously formed sheet of glass, comprising electric heating means extending transversely of the sheet, means for clamping the heating means against the sheet so that it movesalong with the sheet during the heating operation,-a nozzle at the edge of the sheet supported in fixedrelation to the heat ing means, so as to move along therewith,-

fluid supply means therefor, and a foot valve located adjacent the sheet for controlling the flow of fluid through said supply means,

3. Apparatus for separating sections from a continuously formed glass sheet, comprising a pair of bars extending transversely. on p opposite sides ofthe sheet to be severed and free to move along withthe sheet electrical heated members'extending longitudinally of the bars, means carried by the'bars at their ends for clamping them together with the.

sheet between them, a nozzle at the edge of the sheet also carried by the bars and directed onto the surface of the sheet adjacent the point where the contact between the elec-v trical heated m'em-bersand the glass begins,

fluid supply means for the nozzle, and means.

of fluidthrough said for controlling the flow supply means.

4. Apparatus for separating sections from a continuouslyformed glass sheet, comprising a pair of bars extending transversely on opposite sides of the sheet to be severed and free to move along with the sheet, electrical heated members extending longitudinally of the bars, means carried by the bars at their ends for clamping them together with the sheet between them, a nozzle at the edge of the sheet also carried by the bars and directed onto the surface of the sheet adjacent the point where the contact between the elec trical heated members and the glass begins,

fluid supply means for the nozzle, and a foot valve located adjacent the sheet for controlling the flow of fluid through said supply means. a

5. An apparatus for separating sections from a continuously formed sheet of glass, comprising electric heating means extending transversely of the sheet, but of less length than the width of the sheet, means for clamping the heating means against the sheet so that it moves along with the sheet during the heating operation, a nozzle at the edge of the sheet supported in fixed relation to the heating means, so as to move along therewith, fiuid supply means therefor, and means for controlling the flow of fluid through said supply means, the said nozzle being p0si-' tioned so as to direct thefluidupon the sheet at the end of said heating means.

6. An apparatus for separating sections i from a continuously formed sheet of glass, comprising electric heating means extending transversely of the sheet, means for clamping the heating means against the sheet so that it movesalong with the sheet during the heating operation, a nozzle at each edge of the sheet supported in fixed relation to the heating means, so as to move along therewith, fluid supply means therefor, and means for controlling the flow of fluid through said supply means. I

7. An apparatus for separating sections from a continuously formed sheet of glass,

comprising electric heating means extending transversely of the sheet, means -for clamping the heating means against the sheet so that it moves along with the sheet during the heating operation,-a nozzle at eachedge of the sheet mounted so as to move along with said heating means, fluid supply means for the nozzles, and a foot valve located adjacent the sheet for controlling the flow vof fluid through said supply means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 19 day of Nov. 1925.

TRAVIS OAKES. 

